Protective helmets



DQQ 1968 e. VOGLIANO ETAL 3,413,656

PROTECTIVE HELMETS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1965 M no m m wmfl m5 @0 ATToR/YEKS Dec. 3, 1968 Filed June 30, 1965 G. VOGLIANO ETAL 3,413,656

PROTECTIVE HELMETS 2 Sheets-$heet 2 /NVN70PS RM N l oa/m/vo ER BECKMA NM W @zda man/firs United States Patent 0 3,413,656 PROTECTIVE HELMETS German Vogliano and Dieter Beckmann, both of 12 Forststrasse, 1 Berlin-Zehlendorf 37, Germany Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,313 1 Claims. (Cl. 23)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protective helmet including internal and external shells interconnected by Velcro strips so that upon the application of a blow thereto the strips will be disconnected whereby the external shell will rotate relative to the internal shell.

The present invention relates to protective helmets, consisting of an external and an internal shell and a chin strap or the like.

In helmets of this type, the external shell is normally provided with a brim projecting from the wearers head. This brim has the disadvantage that it offers a good resistant surface to pressures which, for example, occur during explosion waves, so that pressure of this type in certain circumstances can easily lead to breaking the wearers neck.

According to the invention, this disadvantage is eliminated or minimised by securing the chin strap to the internal shell and detachably connecting the internal and external shells.

In this way, it is achieved that practically no torque can be imparted to the wearers head, which torque could lead to breaking of the neck, since, with a pressure acting from the outside on the protective helmet, the external shell is blown off or caused to slip downwards. In such a case. the internal shell would then still be able to protect the head against impact, blows or the like. The required safe loosening pressure for disconnecting the connection between the internal and external shells of the helmet should be within the range of 0.5 kg. to 15 kg.

If desired, the internal and external shells are connected together so as to pivot about an approximately vertical axis. The relative rotation or turning then allows the external shell to rotate or turn when any object, for example, a bullet, strikes the helmet at an angle, so that the object is laterally deflected or its penetration is reduced.

Of course, the connection between the external and internal shells must be such that they are separated or loosened only when the pressure thereat exceeds certain value depending upon the particular conditions (e.g. 4.5 kg.) or only permits the external shell to rotate in order to prevent the external shell from falling olf'or rotating with normal external forces, for example, vibrations during running.

Advantageously, the connecting means between the shells are re-usable after separation of the shells. The connecting means may, for example, comprise pieces of connecting tape or pile fasteners tape, and in preferably a plurality, e.g. four pieces of tape are stuck on the internal shell near its brim, the hooks or burls of which pieces are engaged with the burls or hooks of pieces of tape arranged on the external shell. In addition, the pieces of tape located on the internal shell may be secured to pivot on the internal shell, the fulcrum of each piece of tape being localised at the upper end thereof.

If desired, clamping members may be provided to connect the external and internal shells together.

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In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which show one embodiment thereof by way of example, and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a lateral sectional view of a helmet according to the invention, with certain parts broken away,

FIGURE 2 shows a section through two connecting elements engaged with one another, and

FIGURE 3 shows a view of a connecting element located on the internal shell.

Referring now to the drawings, the helmet is shown generally at 5 and consists of an external shell 6 and an internal shell 7. A chin strap 8 is secured to the latter. The internal shell has a stiff brim 9 having a flexible covering 10 and a cap-shaped portion 11 arranged thereupon which has a star-shaped opening on its upper part. The ends of flaps 12 on the portion are connected together by means of a rubber band 13. Four straps pass over the cap-shaped projection, three of them being shown at 14, I5 and 16 in FIGURE 1. The straps are secured to the brim 9 at their lower ends by tapes 19. An elastic padding 17, e.g. made of foam rubber is secured to the straps between themselves and the capshaped portion 17. Another flexible padding 18 is arranged between the straps and the external shell 6, on which padding the internal shell 7 is supported.

Four pieces of tape 19 secured to the brim 9 are pivoted to the lower ends of the straps (see for example, also FIGURE 3), opposite which four other pieces of co-operating tape 20, which are attached to the inner face of the external shell, are situated and are engaged therewith (see FIGURE 2).

When there is an essentially upward pressure acting strongly on the external shell, the connections between the pieces of tape 19 and 2t) and the internal and external shells are disrupted. The pressure thus cannot affect in practice the wearers head. It will be apparent from FIG. 1 that the outer and inner shells 6 and 7 are only temporarily connected at four spaced points around the annulii thereof, in the areas where the tapes 19, connected to and depending from the four straps 14 to 16, interengage with the tapes 20 attached to the inner surface of the outer shell 6. Thus when a sudden force or pressure is applied to the exterior of the outer shell, a torque will he imparted thereto which will tend to twist the outer shell relative to the inner shell and thereby disrupt the temporary bond between the tapes 19 and 20 so that they become separated. Thus, as the shells will no longer be interconnected, relative movement therebetween is permitted. The flexible fastening of the pieces of tape 19 on the internal shell 7 permits the external shell to rotate or turn about an approximately vertical axis within certain limits. Thus, if, for example, a bullet strikes the external shell 6 at an angle, then the external shell turns slightly, which results in the bullet being laterally deflected and the helmet being less easily penetrated than a bullet strike on an external shell which cannot pivot.

The tape material referred to above comprises two cooperating surfaces, one having small loops and the other small hook-like projections. When pressed together, the surfaces adhere firmly and closely but they may be pulled apart if suflicient force is used. The surface may be repeatedly used. The material is generally made from polyamide material or nylon and is obtainable in this country from Velcro Limited.

I claim:

1. A protective helmet comprising external and internal shells, said internal shell including an annular brim and an open crown portion, a series of radial strap means connected to said annular brim and extending to and over the crown portion of said internal shell, spaced strips of tape pivoted to said strap means at a point between said annular brim and said crown portion, spaced strips of tape attached to the inner face of said external shell, each of said tape strips being provided with a multiplicity of hooks, said internal shell being connected to said external shell by the books on said tape strip and whereby said hooks and said strips may become disengaged and the bond therebetween broken upon the application of a sudden blow to said external shell permitting relative movement between said shells.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1955 Bowers 23 11/1962 Voss 23 3/1966 Aileo 23 11/ 1964 Simpson 23 FOREIGN PATENTS 11/ 1925 Great Britain.

4/ 1956 Sweden.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

